The Apple share price history shows that buying Apple stock instead of products can make you rich

At 10pm tonight, Apple boss Tim Cook will disclose the results of the company's third quarter. Analysts expect a degree of triumphalism: some estimate that Apple's revenues have increased six percent since this time last year. That's good news for investors, who have long found Apple to have been a financial boon. In fact, the Apple share price history shows you would have made considerable money if you had bought Apple stock instead of products (data courtesy of investedinstead.com)...

1991

You could have bought: PowerBook 100 (£1,700)
Apple share price then: $1.71
Apple stock to the value of the product would now be worth: £155,000

This was Apple's first, tentative foray into the portable computer world. Early sales were disappointing – if the naysayers had bought stock instead, they would have made almost a hundred times their money.

2001

You could have bought: iPod (£300)
Apple share price then: $1.37
Apple stock to the value of the product would now be worth: £38,000

Only 16 years ago, Apple released the very first iPod, which boasted 5GB of storage. That would allow you to hold around 1,000 of your favourite songs. With the money you could have made from investing instead, you could today subscribe to Apple Music for 3,800 months.